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Redefining the Notion of "Souvenirs" for Luxury Travelers

Artisans of Leisure offers global shopping excursions

For many affluent travelers, the opportunity to shop for unique, evocative items is the highlight of an overseas trip. Artisans of Leisure, a tour operator that is redefining the world of private luxury travel, has launched new shopping excursions that offer access to the world’s finest shops, marketplaces, designers, craftsmen and other sources of sophisticated goods. These excursions focus on items such as one-of-a-kind jewelry designs in Hong Kong, traditional cooking utensils in Andalusia and antique garden furniture in the Cotswolds.

“Shopping overseas is a highly experiential way of traveling,” said Ashley Isaacs Ganz, president and founder of Artisans of Leisure. “It offers an authentic window into another culture’s history, traditions, techniques and aesthetics.”

Artisans of Leisure facilitates the overseas shopping experience in five important ways:

Insider access: Artisans of Leisure gives travelers insider access to off-the-beaten-track sources and specialists dealing in authentic goods of the highest quality. In many cases, these are people and places travelers would not be able to access on their own.

Highly personalized shopping: Artisans of Leisure customizes all shopping excursions to the shopping interests of individual travelers and the amount of time the travelers want to spend shopping relative to other cultural touring and relaxation.

Sophisticated, expert advice: Artisans of Leisure travel consultants—discerning shoppers and collectors themselves—give travelers expert advice on specialized purchases. The consultants maintain an extensive network of designers, dealers, craftspeople, artisanal food producers and other specialists around the world, and they constantly update their knowledge of the best local boutiques, specialty shops, galleries, wineries and more through regular travel and research.

Private guides to bridge cultures and languages: Travelers are given their own private guides who are fluent in the local language and culture. The guides help with interpreting and negotiation, and they never accept commissions or kickbacks for travelers’ purchases.

Full-service logistical assistance: Artisans of Leisure and their associates in each country provide full-service logistical assistance such as private transfers and appointments. They also arrange packing and shipping from point of purchase to travelers’ homes, a service that is especially useful for oversized or fragile items such as furniture, paintings and wine.

Artisans of Leisure clients typically want shopping to be just one of the ways they experience a place. For example, clients traveling to Vietnam may know that they want to buy modern Vietnamese art, but they also want to see interesting sights, eat delicious food and meet local people. Rather than just taking travelers to galleries to purchase art, Artisans of Leisure also arranges for travelers to meet renowned artists and tour their studios. The shopping process becomes an integral part of their Vietnam cultural experience, and the art they take home is more than just anonymous decoration.

This appealing formula has worked for hundreds of Artisans of Leisure clients who have made “souvenirs” out of everything from fountain pens to commissioned tapestries. “For our clients, shopping is not just about the items they buy. It’s also about how those items reflect the life they’ve led, the experiences they’ve had and their individual style,” said Ganz. “The objects one acquires overseas remain forever imbued with the stories and memories of that place.”

All Artisans of Leisure tours include comprehensive sightseeing with expert private guides and drivers, carefully selected rooms in the finest luxury hotels in the world, internal transportation, restaurant and spa reservations, admission and performance fees, special amenities, access to Artisans of Leisure’s extensive international network of associate offices, and more.

Artisans of Leisure is a luxury tour operator specializing in private, custom travel arrangements in international destinations.